Chapter 6

It was early summer, and Ashera was three years old.

Today, I had come to the farmland a little away from the town for the first time in a while.

When the carriage door opened, I saw the sparkling water surface reflecting the sky.

The wind felt nice.

The scent of the grass was refreshing.

If I ran, it would definitely feel great.

Actually, I want to run! My body is tingling with excitement!

Seeing the excitement on my face, Link laughed softly and said, "Come here," and lifted me out of the carriage.

After readjusting me in his arms, he started walking steadily towards the farmland.

Huh? Isn't he going to put me down soon?

When I said, "Put me down," he replied, "Later."

Ugh~

Both Uncle and Link always want to carry me.

"Everyone! Good work!"

While still holding me, Link called out to the villagers (farmers) who were weeding in the rice fields.

"Lord Dain! Lady Ashera is here too!!"

The villagers, who were working barefoot in the fields, waved at us.

I waved back with all my might.

It's a rice field!

I never thought I'd see a scene like this from Japan in the Kingdom of Earthris.

So nostalgic~

Selt, a merchant, came from behind carrying a large wooden box and started laying out a resting sheet away from the rice fields.

Today, we had brought refreshments.

"Wow, I didn't know rice needed so much water to grow properly."

Toui, who was in charge of organizing the villagers in this area, nodded thoughtfully while looking at the vigorous rice plants that had increased in number due to tillering.

He had short, dark brown hair and eyes of the same color, embodying the phrase "sturdy build."

He had just turned 30, with strong muscles and a healthy, sun-tanned skin.

He was also the one teaching Uncle and Link about agriculture, acting as a guide.

"I'm surprised the stems increased so much. Moreover, they grow vigorously without rotting even when submerged in water. If we had known how to cultivate them from the beginning, we wouldn't have struggled so much."

This was said by Toui's grandfather.

He had a bald head like a monk from my previous life (he gets very angry if you say he's bald), but he was still vigorous and working energetically.

The rice fields were started a few years ago when the current viscount visited another continent (for fun) and was so impressed by the taste that he bought the seeds. However, since he didn't receive instructions on how to cultivate them, the efforts had been in vain until now.

Moreover, due to the war, travel between continents at the civilian level became impossible for a while.

Last year, when I was growing rice in our garden, Toui and his grandfather came to report the poor growth of the rice to Uncle. They were stunned when they saw my growing seedlings.

After that, they visited our house frequently until the seedlings grew into rice plants.

They came to our house every day without fail, and I felt a bit overwhelmed by their seriousness but also admired their professional spirit.

It took about half a year from sowing the seeds.

The rice plants flowered in summer, and by autumn, they had finally matured into rice ears, which were then harvested.

Toui and his grandfather looked at the golden rice ears with sheer amazement.

After natural drying, the rice was threshed to remove the husks, and the chaff was removed by shaking the rice in a mortar and then using a stick to poke it in a bottle.

Actually, from sowing to cooking, the viscount had received a recipe when he bought the seeds.

...Well, I guess the seller only thought about the cooking method and not the cultivation.

Even in my previous life, when I bought a product, the recommended recipe was included, but not how to grow it.

And the first cooking.

Out of ten barrels, we managed to harvest from eight. Each plant that had tillered produced enough rice for about one bowl.

So, we had enough for eight bowls of rice. But I didn't want to use it all at once, so we cooked half, which was four bowls.

Everyone had a small taste.

When I chewed, the sweetness and umami spread in my mouth, making me feel nostalgic. I mean, I'm Japanese, even though I'm now a citizen of Earthris.

I almost shed a tear out of nostalgia, but I was surprised when Toui and his grandfather burst into tears.

They had been trying and working hard for a long time.

Of course, they were moved.

This year, the viscount used all the remaining seeds to create the rice fields.

I supervised the process, even though I'm just a child.

I started from making the rice fields with Uncle Rodin and Link.

We added compost to improve the soil, built the bunds, and created irrigation channels to bring water from the pond.

We could have brought water from the river, but it would have been too cold.

The pond water, warmed by the sun, was just right for the rice plants.

Toui and his team, remembering my success and the process from last year, were true professionals.

They did most of the work on their own without much direction from me.

Good. I didn't want to interfere too much, as it would have made me look like a strange child.

During a short break, when everyone came up from the rice fields, Link put me down, and I started distributing the refreshments in bottles to each person.

Selt, the merchant, carried the box, so I just had to hand them out, which was easy.

Selt, in his late 30s, was refined.

He had black hair slicked back and deep blue eyes, and always gave the impression of being very meticulous.

He had previously worked as a butler in a noble's mansion but lost his job due to unfair accusations.

Moreover, he was blacklisted and couldn't find work in any noble's mansion. It was a well-prepared and infuriating situation.

When Lord Dain learned of his situation, he entrusted him to the merchant's uncles.

As a butler, Selt could manage various personalities effectively.

His graceful manners and proper etiquette set a good example, and the employees of the merchant's shop naturally became more refined in their behavior and customer service.

Since appearance is also important for serving in a noble's mansion, Selt was also handsome.

As a result, he received a lot of attention from both the staff and the customers visiting the shop.

With Selt's help, I distributed the rusks to 20 people.

The adult farmers washed their hands and feet in the irrigation channels and sat on the prepared sheet. Then, everyone opened their bottles at once.

"Hmm, what is this?"

"It's crunchy and delicious."

Everyone was holding a long, thin piece, about the size of an adult's finger.

It was something we planned to sell at the shop.

Yes, the rusks I made a few months ago.

"Is it okay to have so much?"

I brought a large wooden box with enough for everyone.

"Yes, actually, this is our new product. I think it's delicious, but I want to hear your opinions."

"It's delicious!"

"It's simple but has a subtle sweetness when you chew."

"The salty ones are also delicious!"

"Mmm, is this garlic? It's a flavor that gives you energy!"

Link smiled at the positive feedback.

"This can be eaten as a snack or a dessert. It's originally bread, but when processed and put in a bottle, it's resistant to moisture and can last for about 10 days. It's also good as a portable food, so we started selling it today."

"It's bread! Now that you mention it."

"Putting it in a bottle is a good idea."

"I want a large bottle filled to the brim."

"The label on the bottle is cute! It has pictures as well as words, so even children who can't read can understand."

"Bringing the empty bottles back to the shop to buy only the contents at a reduced price is a great idea!"

"Ah, but I want to collect these cute bottles!"

Yes, yes. I'm happy that both the rusks and the cute bottles seem to be popular.

The previous rusks were simply named "rusks."

In my previous life, "rusk" meant "twice-baked bread." When I tried it, it had the same meaning.

The recipe for rusks was registered and made public by the national authorities.

To my surprise, there were no rusks in this world before.

Since bread waste was a nationwide issue, the long-lasting and portable rusks were recognized by the national authorities, and the manufacturing method was disseminated throughout the Kingdom of Earthris.

A rusk workshop was also established in the viscount's domain.

We bought a bakery that was closing due to the owner's old age and purchased many unsold breads at a low price from several bakeries every day to make rusks.

For the bakeries, the bread that would have been discarded became a source of income, albeit a small one.

Additionally, since it was light work, it also promoted employment for women, becoming a relief measure for single-mother households with less affluent lives.

"It's a waste to make the recipe public for free so soon!!"

The viscount was reportedly furious, but Uncle ignored him.

The recipe holder can receive a percentage of the usage fee for a certain period.

It's like a patent fee in my previous life.

If things go well, it can lead to wealth.

To me, the method of making rusks isn't worth a usage fee.

Moreover, I think it's more valuable if everyone can eat their fill.

So, when Uncle asked me, "Is it okay?" about making the recipe public for free, I immediately nodded and said, "Yes."

"Pancake happy. Everyone happy. Ashera happy."

"Ashera!! My angel!!"

Uncle rubbed his cheek against mine and hugged me tightly.

To me, Uncle's overflowing love is a better reward than money.

After that, the viscount, who couldn't profit from the usage fee, reportedly summoned Uncle Rodin to the viscount's mansion and vented his anger.

The recipe belonged to the merchant (technically, it was registered in my name), not the viscount, but he claimed it could have been used to pay off his debts.

Uncle and the others knew this, so they kept it quiet and made the recipe public for free.

Since it was already public, there was nothing to be done, so the viscount vented his anger on Uncle Rodin, his son.

While we can't benefit from the recipe registration now, making it public increases the visibility of the recipe-holding merchant and the viscount's domain.

Moreover, since it's a beneficial recipe for everyone, the merchant that "bravely made it public for the people" will be respected.

Eventually, it should lead to good things.

Uncle Rodin stood up to his disappointing father with dignity.

"Uncle is so cool..."

While listening to Uncle's account of what happened at the viscount's mansion, I couldn't help but let out a heartfelt comment.

Uncle smiled happily and blushed.

Then,

"Hey, Ashera, what about me?"

Link asked, but he wasn't involved in the viscount's issue today.

I pretended not to hear, but he looked dejected.

"When you took down those scary people, you were like a hero."

The troublemakers who frequently visited the merchant's shop always came in groups, made baseless accusations, and resorted to violence.

A few days ago, Link took down a larger group of them single-handedly, in a way that was almost like an action movie.

"Uh-huh. So?"

"...It was really cool."

"Right?!"

Link beamed. Uncle Rodin and Mother Rose looked at him with exasperation.

I was a bit exasperated even as I was hugged tightly by Link.

...I made him say it. This person.

Cool... Well, he was really cool that time, no exaggeration.

--He looks so happy, so it's fine.

Thank you for reading.